


Four Times Miranda Almost Asked Gary to Stay - And One Time She Did

by savourymuffins



Category: Miranda (TV)
Genre: 5 Times, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 14:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savourymuffins/pseuds/savourymuffins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"No good can come of this, Gary.  Why do we even try?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Times Miranda Almost Asked Gary to Stay - And One Time She Did

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vikitty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vikitty/gifts).



I.

The flat was strangely quiet as Miranda’s eyes open sleepily.  Or perhaps it wasn’t so strange, since according to the time on the VCR, it was now half past three in the morning.  She went to rub the sleep out of her eyes, but quickly realized that her left arm was trapped behind Gary.

Gary.

The gorgeous Gary who was Stevie’s friend and constantly around their flat whether Stevie was home or not.  She guessed she could consider him her friend too, now, especially since they were essentially cuddling on her sofa in the middle of the night.  Although that wasn’t really something that friends did, now, was it?

His head tilted in what had to be an uncomfortable position, and his mouth was hanging open slightly. He looked more like a child asleep on a car trip than the gorgeous classmate who’d accidentally stayed the night.  She wanted to leave him just like that, but the fingers in her left hand had fallen asleep.  She gently pulled on his shoulder with her free hand and slowly tugged her arm out from behind him.

Gary stirred.

Miranda froze, unsure of what to do.  he mumbled something unintelligible and draped his arm over her stomach.  Before she knew what was happening, he had slumped over on top of her, his head resting on her chest.

Well, this was working out marvelously.

Her arm finally free, she flexed her fingers a few times to stop them tingling, then tentatively rested her hand on his shoulder.

It’d be a shame to wake him, she reasoned with herself.  The night was almost through, there was no point in making him go out in the cold at this hour.  She’d just rest her eyes for a moment…

There was a sudden movement next to her, and Miranda’s eyes flew open.  Gary was sitting bolt upright next to her, rubbing his face with his hands.  

He looked over at her as she sat up.  His cheeks were tinged pink and he squinted at her sleepily.  “Sorry," he said, speaking quickly.  “I guess we fell asleep before the movie ended.  It’s nearly four, I should go."  He started to stand up.  Miranda began to reach for his arm, but stopped herself short.

"You don’t have to…" she began, “It’s late, and.."  the rest of the words evaporated on her tongue as she walked him to the door.

As she opened it for him, he turned around to face her, smiling sheepishly.  She couldn’t help but smile back.  For a moment, when their eyes locked, she almost asked him not to leave.  They could finish the movie, or go back to sleep, or find something ridiculous to do in the middle of the night.  It might have been her imagination, but she felt something  _different_  in this moment, and she wasn’t quite ready to let it go.  But her nerves got the best of her, and her eyes dropped to the floor, and the feeling passed.

"Goodnight, Gary."

II.

She stood outside his flat, taking a moment to collect herself.  She could still back out, it wasn’t too late to just go home and see him in class the next day, pretend she hadn’t even considered…

No.  She had come all the way over and she was going to go through with it.  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"It’s unlocked," his lovely voice called from inside.

He was standing at his desk, phone balanced between his shoulder and ear.  He smiled when he saw it was her, and placed his hand over the receiver.  “I’m on hold," he explained.  “Booking tickets for after graduation."

Her heart dropped to her stomach.  This was what she had come over for, to ask him not to go.  Their friendship had taken a turn over the last few months.  They’d share lingering glances and were spending more time one-on-one than they already did.  His arm often found its way around her shoulder and the average duration of their hugs had drastically increased.  Sometimes she thought it all might be her imagination, but her fantasies were typically more… vivid.

She didn’t want him to go without figuring out what, exactly, they were.  It’s not that she didn’t want him to travel ever, maybe he could just delay it for a few months.

"Miranda?  Hello?"

She shook her head as she brought herself back to reality.  “Sorry," she said.  “That’s exciting though!"  She tried to feign enthusiasm as she walked over to him.

"Yeah, well, it was more exciting," he looked down at his watch, “twenty minutes ago when they put me on hold."  He shifted back and forth impatiently.

She murmured sympathetically, her mind already back in panic mode.  Her whole speech was quickly slipping away from her.  She tried to run over her points again in her head.  She wanted to tell him how much she appreciated him, how she couldn’t stand the idea that they may not see each other again after graduation, now maybe if he just put his trip off a bit…

She eyed the telephone receiver.  There was no way she could say all of that with the constant threat of interruption hanging over her head.  If she just hung up the phone… All she had to do was reach over and…

“Yes, right, so it’s all set then?  Thanks.  Mhm.  You too.”  He hung up the phone and looked up at her.  “Well, I guess I’m really going,” he said, an excited smile spreading across his face.  “No turning back now.”

“No turning back,” she echoed, her last chance evaporating before her eyes.  “It’s brilliant, Gary.  I’m really happy for you.”  And she was.

Mostly.

Sort of.

A little.

She smiled as convincingly as she could.  Besides, even if he did travel, he’d only be gone, what, a year, maybe two?  They could just pick up where they left off then.

III.

“I didn’t realize I needed to take a self defense class in order to take a self defense class.”  Miranda rubbed her neck, sore from being thrown into a mat repeatedly for the last hour and a half.

“I tried not to throw you too hard,” Gary offered helpfully as they started down the street back towards the shop and restaurant.

“Thanking you for that, though I wish everyone else had been so sweet.”

“I’m not sweet,” he said, a bit shyly, before falling silent.  They walked a few paces down the busy street, their arms brushing lightly against each other.

“Bet you’re glad you’ve got me to walk you home at night,” she piped up after a moment.

“Stop it,” he said, bumping her shoulder affectionately.  “And besides, it’s not even night time.”

“It will be soon,” she shot back.  The sun was nearly set, casting the street in a hazy glow.  “And what are you going to do in Hong Kong?  You won’t have me to defend you from the muggers.”

He laughed quietly.  “Yeah, I don’t know what I’m going to do without you around.”

“I’m going to miss you,” she almost said, but the words caught in her throat.  If she said it, it meant he was really leaving.  He’d be out of her life again after eight years of trying to forget about the feelings she had for him.

She shot him a sideways glance.  Maybe…. Maybe she should ask him to stay.  Maybe he really was looking for an excuse not to go.

“But, I do still have some friends in Hong Kong, maybe it won’t be so bad,” he continued.

Or maybe she wouldn’t say anything after all.

IV.

“Well that was a disaster,” Miranda said as she came out of her bedroom, still drying her hair with a towel.  “You’re so sweet to wait for me, but you can probably just go home.”

Gary leaned against her kitchen table, a confused look on his face.  “Weren’t we going to go back out?  We still have dinner reservations…”

“What?  So I can catch on fire or throw a pitcher of water at an innocent bystander?”  She sighed, feeling completely defeated.   “No good can come of this, Gary.  Why do we even try?”

Gary stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest.  He looked hurt, like he was a puppy that had just been smacked on the nose.

“No, I just… I think it’s best if we just stay friends.  I think it will be better in the long run.”  She hoped.  It certainly didn’t feel better now.

He let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping.  Miranda couldn’t tell if it was out of relief or resignation.  “I guess I’ll go, then,” he said, his tone flat.  As he crossed to the door, he stopped, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to her.

“I was going to give you this at dinner, but I still want you to have it.”  He wouldn’t look her in the eye, his gaze focusing on a spot somewhere behind her.

Miranda opened the box gingerly.  A tiny gasp slipped out when she saw it, a tiny silver M on a chain.  Exactly the type of thing she’d wear.  She ran her finger over it gently.  “Than, you,” she said, still looking down at it.

“I should go,” Gary said uncomfortably, moving towards the door.  “Goodnight, Miranda.”

“‘Night,” she called out as he left. Maybe… maybe they could work things out.  It seemed silly that a necklace would make her change her mind, but something about the sweet simplicity of it caught her off guard.  She rushed to the door to call him back, but as she entered the hall, she heard the jingle of the shop door as he exited to the street.

“Never mind,” she muttered, turning the box over in her hands.

V.

Miranda sat cross-legged on her hotel bed, the biggest tin of biscuits she could find sitting in her lap, and a cheesy midday movie on the telly.  Even though she had actually gone on a trip this time, she still preferred to spend her time in the hotel room.

She had broken it off with Michael properly this time.  It pained her to break his heart like that, but he deserved someone better.  Someone who could love him with their whole heart.

Her heart, however, was still in pieces.

She’d left without saying a word to Gary.  It probably wasn’t fair, but him proposing to her hadn’t exactly been fair, either.  She didn’t even know what she’d say to him, if she’d scream or cry or kiss him or shag him senseless.  Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and anger and humiliation, but underneath all of that, she still loved him deeply. 

She almost regretted ever telling him she loved him, because it had been the catalyst of this whole awful business.

But she didn’t regret it, not really, because it was true.

It was still true.  Even after everything that had happened.

She as stirred from her thoughts by a knock at the door.  The bellboy bringing up more milklets.  She had used all of hers up already and needed to restock.  She flung the door open without bothering to check the peephole, and was shocked to discover that Gary standing on the other side of it.

“Hi?”  he looked completely terrified, but his voice quirked upward with a bit of hope.

Miranda gulped.  She had no idea how to react to this, actually.  H’ed chased her down once before, but she hadn’t expected him to come all the way to Wick.  She was at a complete loss for words.

“Right.  So.  I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now.  But I just had to find you.  To tell you I’m sorry for everything.  I know you said that you’re never sure what I want and I made that even more confusing.  I just.  Panicked.  I was scared of losing you.  Because  _you’re_ what I want.  And I understand if you want space or time or anything.  But I want you to know that I”ll be there.  When - or if, I guess - you decided to come home.  Even if you just want to be friends, though I’d love it if we were more than that.”  The words all came out in a rush, and he stopped to catch his breath.  “So that’s all I have to say.  I guess I’ll go now.”  He turned to leave.

Miranda had been staring at him blankly throughout his entire speech, unable to process what he was saying.  But as his words sunk in, a smile broke out across her face.  She grabbed his hand quickly, jerking him into the room.

“You don’t need to go.”

“Miranda, I…”

She wrapped her arms around his neck.  “Stay.  Please?”

**Author's Note:**

> Special Thanks to: My husband for coming up with Gary being on the phone in Part II, and Valerie (uppercasemad) for the necklace headcanon in Part IV


End file.
